An Interactive 5-Day Training Course
Rock Mechanics Laboratory Testing & Core-Based Measurements
Laboratory Testing of Rock for Geomechanics
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Duration
5 Days
Price
$ 3,500
Starting From
01 Feb 2027
Home Geology and Geoscience Rock Mechanics Laboratory Testing & Core-Based Measurements
Rock Mechanics Laboratory Testing & Core-Based Measurements
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Rock Mechanics Laboratory Testing & Core-Based Measurements - GG-RMLAB-PEA27
| Code | Date | Time | Duration | Location | Currency | Early Bird Fee Per Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GG-RMLAB-PEA27 | 01 - 05 Feb 2027 | 10 AM CST | 4 Hours Per Day |
Online |
USD |
3500 |
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Rock Mechanics Laboratory Testing & Core-Based Measurements
This training covers rock mechanics laboratory testing and core based geomechanical measurement. It works through sample selection and preparation, elastic property measurement, compressive and tensile strength testing, triaxial and polyaxial testing, pore collapse and compaction testing, anisotropy and time dependent behaviour, test programme specification, the interpretation of test reports and the calibration of log derived properties against core.
Description
Every mechanical earth model is built on log derived elastic and strength profiles, and those profiles are calibrated against laboratory measurements made on a small number of core samples. The quality of the entire model therefore depends on whether the right tests were specified, whether the samples were representative, whether the test conditions reflected the reservoir and whether the results were interpreted correctly. Each of these can go wrong, and the resulting error propagates into every geomechanical prediction made from the model.
This training covers laboratory rock mechanics from the user's point of view. Sample selection and preparation are established first, covering representativeness, preservation, orientation and the effects of coring damage and stress relief. Elastic property measurement follows, covering static testing, dynamic measurement by ultrasonic velocity, and the systematic difference between the two that affects every log calibration. Compressive and tensile strength testing are then developed, covering unconfined compression, Brazilian and other tensile tests and the reliability of each. Triaxial and polyaxial testing follow in detail, covering test procedures, the construction of failure envelopes and the derivation of cohesion and friction angle. Pore collapse and compaction testing are then addressed. Anisotropy and time dependent behaviour follow. Test programme specification is then developed. The training closes with report interpretation and log calibration.
Dynamic and static moduli differ systematically and the correction matters. Elastic moduli measured from ultrasonic velocities at small strain and high frequency are consistently higher than those measured from a static loading test at reservoir strain levels, often by a factor approaching two in weak rock. Logs measure dynamic properties; geomechanical calculations require static ones. The conversion is empirical, rock type specific, and must be established from paired static and dynamic measurements on the same samples. Using dynamic moduli directly in a geomechanical model overstates the stiffness considerably.
Core samples are damaged before they reach the laboratory. Coring releases the in-situ stress, which causes microcracking; the trip to surface changes temperature and pressure; drying alters clay-bearing rock permanently; and handling induces fractures. The measured strength of a damaged sample is lower than the in-situ strength, and the measured stiffness is also lower because the microcracks close during loading. Preserved core, tested at reservoir conditions, gives results closer to the truth, and the difference between preserved and unpreserved results on the same interval is worth measuring once per field.
A single unconfined compressive strength value is not a strength model. A failure criterion requires at least cohesion and friction angle, which means tests at several confining pressures, and the practical minimum is a multi-stage triaxial or three single-stage triaxial tests on comparable samples. Unconfined compressive strength alone, which is what many programmes acquire, constrains only one point on the failure envelope and gives no information about how the strength increases with confinement, which is exactly what wellbore stability calculations depend on.
Finally, the test programme must be specified by the person who will use the results. Laboratories perform the tests requested, and a request for standard triaxial testing on ten samples will produce exactly that, which may not include the anisotropy measurement needed for a shale, the pore collapse test needed for a weak chalk, or the orientation required for a layered reservoir. Writing the specification from the intended application, including the stress and temperature conditions and the sample orientations, is what makes the programme useful.
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Select and specify samples appropriate to the intended measurements
- Assess the effects of coring damage, stress relief and drying on results
- Interpret static and dynamic elastic property measurements
- Apply static to dynamic conversions appropriate to the rock type
- Specify and interpret compressive and tensile strength tests
- Specify and interpret triaxial and polyaxial test programmes
- Derive failure criteria parameters from test data
- Specify pore collapse and compaction tests where relevant
- Account for anisotropy and time dependent behaviour
- Calibrate log derived mechanical properties against core data
The training combines laboratory procedure with data interpretation. Participants work through real test reports, construct failure envelopes from triaxial data and derive strength parameters. Test specifications are written for stated geomechanical applications and critiqued. Paired static and dynamic data sets are used to establish conversions and calibrate log derived profiles.
Organisations sending participants to this training will:
- Specify test programmes that support the intended applications
- Avoid strength models built on insufficient test data
- Apply correct static to dynamic conversions
- Recognise sample damage effects on results
- Calibrate mechanical earth models properly
- Improve the value obtained from core expenditure
Participants will:
- Write effective test specifications
- Interpret laboratory reports critically
- Construct failure envelopes from test data
- Convert dynamic to static properties
- Recognise unreliable test results
- Calibrate log based mechanical profiles
- Geomechanics engineers and geoscientists
- Petrophysicists deriving mechanical properties
- Core analysis and laboratory staff
- Drilling engineers using strength data
- Completion engineers designing stimulation
- Reservoir engineers assessing compaction
- Technical staff specifying core programmes
Module 1 - Sample Selection and Preparation
- Representativeness of samples
- Sampling by rock type and interval
- Core preservation methods
- Effects of drying on clay-bearing rock
- Stress relief and microcracking
- Coring induced damage
- Sample orientation requirements
- Plug drilling and end preparation
- Dimensional tolerances and standards
- Saturation state and its restoration
- Sample screening before testing
- Documenting sample condition
Module 2 - Elastic Property Measurement
- Static elastic property measurement
- Stress strain curve interpretation
- Young's modulus determination
- Poisson's ratio determination
- Tangent and secant moduli
- Dynamic measurement by ultrasonic velocity
- Compressional and shear velocity measurement
- Dynamic moduli calculation
- Static against dynamic difference
- Conversion relationships and their derivation
- Frequency and strain amplitude effects
- Bulk and shear modulus determination
Module 3 - Strength Testing
- Unconfined compressive strength test
- Loading rate effects
- Failure mode observation
- Brazilian tensile strength test
- Direct tension testing
- Point load and index tests
- Scratch and indentation testing
- Strength from drilling response
- Repeatability and scatter in strength data
- Sample size effects
- Strength correlations with other properties
- Limitations of unconfined testing
Module 4 - Triaxial and Polyaxial Testing
- Triaxial test configuration
- Confining pressure selection
- Pore pressure control and drainage
- Drained and undrained testing
- Single stage against multi-stage tests
- Multi-stage test interpretation and its limits
- Failure envelope construction
- Mohr-Coulomb parameter derivation
- Cohesion and friction angle
- Non-linear failure envelopes
- Polyaxial and true triaxial testing
- Intermediate stress effects
Module 5 - Compaction and Pore Collapse
- Hydrostatic compression testing
- Uniaxial strain testing
- Oedometer and consolidation tests
- Bulk compressibility measurement
- Pore volume compressibility
- Pore collapse pressure determination
- End cap and compaction surfaces
- Weak chalk and high porosity behaviour
- Water weakening effects
- Compaction coefficient derivation
- Application to subsidence prediction
- Stress path testing
Module 6 - Anisotropy and Time Dependence
- Transverse isotropy in shales
- Anisotropic elastic constants
- Measurement of anisotropy
- Sample orientation for anisotropy testing
- Strength anisotropy with bedding angle
- Creep and its measurement
- Salt creep behaviour
- Shale creep and borehole closure
- Fatigue and cyclic loading
- Rate dependence of strength
- Chemical and fluid sensitivity testing
- Capillary and wettability effects
Module 7 - Programme Specification
- Defining the application first
- Tests required for wellbore stability
- Tests required for fracture design
- Tests required for compaction prediction
- Tests required for sand prediction
- Sample count and distribution
- Test condition specification
- Stress and temperature conditions
- Orientation requirements
- Quality requirements and standards
- Cost and schedule management
- Writing a laboratory specification
Module 8 - Report Interpretation and Calibration
- Reading a rock mechanics report
- Checking test conditions against specification
- Assessing data quality and scatter
- Identifying anomalous results
- Rejecting unreliable data with reasons
- Building strength profiles from log data
- Calibrating log correlations to core
- Rock type dependence of correlations
- Uncertainty in calibrated profiles
- Propagating property uncertainty
- Documenting the calibration
- Reviewing laboratory data critically
Upon successful completion of this training course, delegates will be awarded an official Certificate of Completion issued by the Petroleum Engineers Association (PEA), an ISO 9001:2015 certified training organization. The certificate carries 10 Credits and formally records the total learning hours completed.
Each certificate is signed by the Course Facilitator and the CEO of the Petroleum Engineers Association, and serves as verifiable proof of professional training that delegates can present to employers and professional bodies worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
All course bookings made through PEA are strictly non-refundable. By registering for a course, you acknowledge and accept that all fees are payable in full and are not subject to refund under any circumstances, including changes in personal or professional commitments or partial attendance.
PEA reserves the right to make reasonable adjustments to course content, trainers, or schedules where necessary, without entitling delegates to a refund. Comprehensive details of each course — including objectives, target audience, and content — are clearly outlined before enrolment, and it is the responsibility of the delegate to ensure the course's suitability prior to booking.
For any inquiries related to cancellations or bookings, please contact our support team, who will be happy to assist you.
